A brilliant effort from well-known oenologists Dany and Michel Rolland, the 2009 Bon Pasteur is dominated by Merlot, with a touch of Cabernet Franc included in the blend. It reveals textbook notes of mocha, tobacco leaf, blackberries, black cherries, roasted coffee and wood smoke. Full-bodied and luscious with a succulent, beautifully textured, multidimensional mouthfeel, low acidity and sweet but noticeable tannin, it is reminiscent of the 1982 Bon Pasteur, which continued to put on weight for a decade or more. If the 2009 does the same, it will come close to equaling that legendary vintage. Drink it over the next 20+ years.

Blackcurrant, damson, cherry and medicinal bouquet. Has a sweet palate with chunky, refined tannins. Juicy and rich yet not over-extracted; long and fresh. Drink from 2015. Alc: 14.5%. (15.58 points)

Thick and dense. A tad bitter on the finish. Severe and a bit drying.